Friday, April 24, 2009

Local Kid Makes Good, part 2

Okay, my first official trial run. I practiced balancing in my spare moments throughout the week, using crutches in place of training wheels. The guy at the bike shop suggested I use ski poles, but I don't have any of those, so it was crutches. Balancing on a unicycle was more difficult than the girl at school made it look, but it was fun to get the equilibrium down: "Life is a great balancing act", as the great man said.

So, I'm rolling now. Nothing spectacular (I did bite the dust a couple of times), but I'm on my way. Hopefully by next month, I'll have the training wheels off, and still have a face.

Willie: I hope I'm not moving into your territory too much with all of this cycle talk.

This is quite good. Spencer you seem to be able to balance the complex with the simple better than anyone I know. I think you get that from your faith. No, I am not talking about your faith in God. I am glad you are always working that one out. You never seem to have a fixed view there and while you and I evolve in different ways, I am glad you are still trying to evolve there. Perhaps you need apply some of that simplicity to your faith in God. Oh well, no your greatest faith has always been in your family. One notices that when one walks up the driveway to be greeted by your two sons who immediately run up and hug me no matter if its been months or a few days since we last met. When one talks to you, you seamlessly move back and forth between talking to them and talking to me. Your fears for them and your hopes for them are always very close to your mind. You love your wife too, un-heroically from an outside observer used to seeing the false loves of movies and television shows, but heroism is not about the grand gestures, but rather the simple pleasure of being with the right. I suppose it comes as no surprise that you unassumingly bought a unicycle. It was there, you were there, and without a second thought you taught yourself and your family not just how to ride (and fall from) a unicycle, but to be at one with the simple pleasures, enjoy them while they come and not not mind that simple pleasures often give you skinned knees and embarrassing home videos.